A lot of people have asked me on Twitter if there is any chance the Mets will sign Bourn. Even on a short-term deal, it’s very unlikely the Mets go down this road.

Ideally, yes, Bourn is a fit and he would give the Mets outfield some instant credibility. He does strike out a lot, but he’s become an excellent top of the order catalyst as an outstanding base stealer with triples speed. The Mets don’t have much of that, and it’s something they have desperately needed since both Jose Reyes and Angel Pagan departed after 2011. But, a) he’s left-handed and the Mets need right-handed outfielders, b) they need power in the outfield, c) he’s a Scott Boras client, and there’s no doubt he will try and get someone to overpay for Bourn, and d) he received a qualifying offer from the Braves, and so the team Bourn signs with will have to surrender their first round pick in the 2013 draft. On top of that, Bourn depends on his legs to be successful, and it remains to be seen how quickly those skills diminish in the coming seasons.